State News and Issues

Premier Daniel Andrews needs to act urgently to end the picket currently blockading the Webb Dock terminal at the Port of Melbourne. The picket, manned by members of the Maritime Union of Australia and the ... Read More

In State Parliament in the final week before the winter break, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed the government’s five new stamp duty and property taxes. We were successful in forcing the government to abandon its ... Read More

There is growing evidence Brighton terrorist Jacqub Khayre was released because the government failed to implement a key recommendation of the Callinan parole review, despite telling the community it had done so. If Khayre had ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the government to explain how Brighton killer Yacqub Khayre had been released on parole, despite apparently being disqualified under the Callinan reforms because he ... Read More

In State Parliament in a truncated two day sitting week, Liberal and National MPs opposed the government’s new and increased tax measures. These include increasing stamp duty on new vehicles, imposing stamp duty on off-the-plan ... Read More

The changes to Victoria's firefighting services announced by Premier Andrews today will allow firefighter union bosses to obtain greater control and veto powers not just over the CFA, but over Victoria's entire combined paid firefighting ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the government to support the Coalition’s plan for compulsory long minimum jail terms for repeat violent offenders, following the horrific murder in his own ... Read More

The recent changes to planning laws made by the Andrews government are designed to force even more development density into established suburbs. The changes include removing the current two dwellings per block limit in Neighbourhood ... Read More

While Don Nardella has been rorting taxpayers for $175,000, Premier Andrews himself has misused an even larger amount of taxpayer funds. He's slugged the taxpayer for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills trying ... Read More

This week in State Parliament, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the Premier to support moves in the Parliament to require Labor’s MP, Don Nardella, to repay the taxpayers’ funds he has pocketed from his ... Read More

It's no wonder people no longer feel safe, with crime in Victoria up 10.2% last year and up 20.2% since 2014. That’s 250 more crimes being committed in Victoria EVERY DAY. Nowhere is spared. In ... Read More

In a week with State Parliament in turmoil, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed Labor’s move to impose a $2 tax on every taxi and Uber ride in Victoria - yet another breaking of Premier Andrews’ ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed legislation giving more rights to alleged offenders who claim they were mentally ill when they committed their crime. We called for the Bill to include ... Read More

The Liberal Nationals Coalition will oppose a move by the Andrews Government to give itself the power to do more UFU-style deals with public sector unions. The Fair Work (Commonwealth Powers) Amendment Bill is being ... Read More

More problems have emerged for Premier Andrews’ dodgy claim that his “night court” will toughen up on bail decisions. Not only is his “night court” only sitting until 9pm, but now Victoria Police are warning ... Read More

Unbelievable. There's been yet another riot by violent juvenile offenders, and this one at the high security Barwon prison. As my colleague Georgie Crozier MP says, the fact that 16 dangerous youth offenders can run ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs repeated called on the government to legislate urgently to strengthen bail laws following the Bourke Street tragedy. We opposed further attempts by the government stop the ... Read More

There is growing evidence Brighton terrorist Jacqub Khayre was released because the government failed to implement a key recommendation of the Callinan parole review, despite telling the community it had done so. If Khayre had ... Read More

It's no wonder people no longer feel safe, with crime in Victoria up 10.2% last year and up 20.2% since 2014. That’s 250 more crimes being committed in Victoria EVERY DAY. Nowhere is spared. In ... Read More

More problems have emerged for Premier Andrews’ dodgy claim that his “night court” will toughen up on bail decisions. Not only is his “night court” only sitting until 9pm, but now Victoria Police are warning ... Read More

Unbelievable. There's been yet another riot by violent juvenile offenders, and this one at the high security Barwon prison. As my colleague Georgie Crozier MP says, the fact that 16 dangerous youth offenders can run ... Read More

Instead of protecting Victorians, Labor's priority is protecting themselves. This week in State Parliament, the government should have been urgently passing legislation to tackle Victoria's law and order crisis. Instead, their priority is to have ... Read More

Victoria is the nation’s car theft capital after racking up 17,900 car thefts between July 2015 and June 2016, the latest statistics show. That’s a whopping 36.83% of Australia’s car thefts that are happening right ... Read More

Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday promised Victorians swift action to establish a “night court” that would toughen up on bail decisions. Now we find this so-called “night court” is sitting only from 5pm to 9pm ... Read More

Yet again, innocent Victorians are paying the price for a weak justice system and a soft on crime government. There have been riot after riot by juvenile inmates, yet the government has just let them ... Read More

Setting up a “night court”, as the government has announced, isn’t likely to achieve tougher bail decisions unless there are also big changes to the law and to attitudes within the justice system. The Victorian ... Read More

The latest crime statistics are out today, with more huge increases in crime rates, particularly violent crime. Assaults are up 13%, robberies are up 21% and home invasions are up a massive 36% - an ... Read More

After ignoring calls for action for weeks, Premier Andrews now says he wants to rush through legislation to keep Craig Minogue behind bars in the last three days of Parliament for the year. The Premier’s ... Read More

Regrettably, the Labor Party have shown once again they don't understand and don’t care about the needs of Melbourne’s east. Despite the Government’s boasts of surpluses and record spending, there’s not a single new project ... Read More

“When you tax a lot, you can spend a lot.” That’s the simple story of this year’s Victorian state budget. But are the higher taxes fair and affordable? And will the money be spent wisely? ... Read More

This year’s state budget is high taxing and high spending, but it leaves crucial needs neglected. For all the government’s boasting, there’s nothing to make meaningful improvement to Melbourne’s traffic congestion, no airport rail link, ... Read More

Having wasted $1.1 billion to not build East West Link, Premier Daniel Andrews has today refused to stand by his election promise that a Labor government would not increase taxes or introduce any new taxes ... Read More

Today's State budget cuts infrastructure spending and reduces the State's surplus in order to pay for a big increase in the public sector wages bill and other spending. Many of the road and rail investments ... Read More

It is disgraceful that Daniel Andrews is prepared to put the wishes of his CFMEU mates ahead of the safety of ordinary workers. Scrapping mandatory drug and alcohol testing on building sites will not only ... Read More

Today's Herald-Sun editorial has rightly condemned Daniel Andrews' sneaky abolition of Victoria's building industry watchdog - revealed in the final sentence of a press release about whooping cough. Abolishing the watchdog will give open season ... Read More

The deal done by Daniel Andrews with the paramedics union looks set to become an expensive benchmark for taxpayers, with a wide range of public sector wages agreements coming up for renegotiation this year. With ... Read More

Experts are already warning of the dangers to the state's finances if Daniel Andrews gives in to unreasonable wage demands from public sector unions. The Coalition government's policy was for a guideline wage increase of ... Read More

Opposition Leader, Daniel Andrews, has again resorted to falsehood to try to defend himself. On top of claiming that no compensation would be payable for tearing up the East West Link contract, Mr Andrews is ... Read More

The Victorian Government welcomes today’s announcement by the ACCC that it has commenced legal action against the CFMEU and CFMEU officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon over the alleged secondary boycott of Boral. This decision ... Read More

New Code strengthens requirements for tenderers on Victorian government projects Promoting safe, law abiding and productive construction sites Napthine Government building a better Victoria The Victorian Coalition Government has today released a new Victorian Code ... Read More

Minister for Finance, Robert Clark, today welcomed two new appointments to the Essential Services Commission. Ms Julie Abramson and Mr Richard Clarke both bring a wealth of experience to their roles as Commissioners. Ms Abramson ... Read More

New requirements for tighter screening of drug and alcohol use at construction workplaces across Victoria will commence from 1 July, helping to ensure a safer and more secure environment for workers, Minister for Finance Robert ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government has today introduced legislation into Parliament to implement reforms that will deliver far reaching improvement to the building system for Victorian consumers and builders. This Bill amends the Building Act 1993, ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government today announced that it will introduce a Domestic Building Consumer Protection Fund to better protect Victorian domestic building consumers. The establishment of the Fund will further strengthen the role of the ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government has welcomed a draft report from the Productivity Commission that recommends that the Commonwealth, and all State and Territory Government’s adopt Victoria’s building code and implementation guidelines. The draft report from ... Read More

Premier Daniel Andrews needs to act urgently to end the picket currently blockading the Webb Dock terminal at the Port of Melbourne. The picket, manned by members of the Maritime Union of Australia and the ... Read More

The changes to Victoria's firefighting services announced by Premier Andrews today will allow firefighter union bosses to obtain greater control and veto powers not just over the CFA, but over Victoria's entire combined paid firefighting ... Read More

The Liberal Nationals Coalition will oppose a move by the Andrews Government to give itself the power to do more UFU-style deals with public sector unions. The Fair Work (Commonwealth Powers) Amendment Bill is being ... Read More

Before the election, Daniel Andrews told Victorians our ambulance system was in crisis and he would fix it. It's now become clear all Mr Andrews has “fixed” is an expensive pay deal with the paramedics ... Read More

Thanks to the Andrews Government’s abolition of the Victorian Code of Practice for the Building and Construction Industry, Victoria has been left wide open to union thuggery and intimidation in the construction industry. Across the ... Read More

Yet again, the costs of Victorian infrastructure projects are being driven up by massive pay deals under a Labor government - just like the desalination plant. As today's The Australian reports, construction workers for Melbourne's ... Read More

Premier Andrews should be condemning the thuggery and bullying on the CUB picket line, not urging the unions to keep their picket going. Backing this rogue union campaign against one of Victoria's best known companies ... Read More

The thuggery continues at this picket line against CUB backed by the Andrews government, with a cowardly attack on an ordinary worker simply trying to do his job. The Fair Work Commission has already made ... Read More

This rogue union campaign against CUB is completely outside the Fair Work Act. Yet instead of condemning their actions, Victoria’s Industrial Relations Minister is urging them on. Her job should be about resolving disputes within ... Read More

The secret negotiations revealed by the Herald Sun today show Premier Andrews knew there were big problems with Fair Work's recommended CFA deal at the same time he was out there telling volunteers there was ... Read More

The Herald Sun has published a powerful assessment of the CFA crisis by Jack Rush QC, the highly regarded counsel to Victoria’s Bushfires Royal Commission. Premier Andrews wanted the CFA to break the law. The ... Read More

Last Friday, Premier Andrews’ new puppet CFA Board announced they had appointed a new CEO within hours of former CEO, Lucinda Nolan, being forced to resign. Now the CFA have admitted their announcement was written ... Read More

In State Parliament in the final week before the winter break, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed the government’s five new stamp duty and property taxes. We were successful in forcing the government to abandon its ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the government to explain how Brighton killer Yacqub Khayre had been released on parole, despite apparently being disqualified under the Callinan reforms because he ... Read More

In State Parliament in a truncated two day sitting week, Liberal and National MPs opposed the government’s new and increased tax measures. These include increasing stamp duty on new vehicles, imposing stamp duty on off-the-plan ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the government to support the Coalition’s plan for compulsory long minimum jail terms for repeat violent offenders, following the horrific murder in his own ... Read More

While Don Nardella has been rorting taxpayers for $175,000, Premier Andrews himself has misused an even larger amount of taxpayer funds. He's slugged the taxpayer for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills trying ... Read More

This week in State Parliament, Liberal and Nationals MPs called on the Premier to support moves in the Parliament to require Labor’s MP, Don Nardella, to repay the taxpayers’ funds he has pocketed from his ... Read More

In a week with State Parliament in turmoil, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed Labor’s move to impose a $2 tax on every taxi and Uber ride in Victoria - yet another breaking of Premier Andrews’ ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs opposed legislation giving more rights to alleged offenders who claim they were mentally ill when they committed their crime. We called for the Bill to include ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs repeated called on the government to legislate urgently to strengthen bail laws following the Bourke Street tragedy. We opposed further attempts by the government stop the ... Read More

Instead of protecting Victorians, Labor's priority is protecting themselves. This week in State Parliament, the government should have been urgently passing legislation to tackle Victoria's law and order crisis. Instead, their priority is to have ... Read More

This week in State Parliament, Liberal and Nationals MPs repeatedly sought answers from the Minister for Health over the delays and the lack of warnings and advice given to the public during last month’s thunderstorm ... Read More

In State Parliament this week, Liberal and Nationals MPs demanded answers over reports the newly elected Labor government forced the Country Fire Authority to make a massive secret payment to the firefighters union, and forced ... Read More

The recent changes to planning laws made by the Andrews government are designed to force even more development density into established suburbs. The changes include removing the current two dwellings per block limit in Neighbourhood ... Read More

While Don Nardella has been rorting taxpayers for $175,000, Premier Andrews himself has misused an even larger amount of taxpayer funds. He's slugged the taxpayer for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills trying ... Read More

Instead of protecting Victorians, Labor's priority is protecting themselves. This week in State Parliament, the government should have been urgently passing legislation to tackle Victoria's law and order crisis. Instead, their priority is to have ... Read More

Today’s Remembrance Day service in Box Hill Gardens saw the unveiling of a new plaque to commemorate all who served in World War One. The plaque was unveiled by Ellen Martin and James Garner-Drummond, students ... Read More

Before the election, Daniel Andrews told Victorians our ambulance system was in crisis and he would fix it. It's now become clear all Mr Andrews has “fixed” is an expensive pay deal with the paramedics ... Read More

Further signs have emerged today of the threat to Melbourne's eastern and southern suburbs of more high density development in residential streets. Planning "experts" reported by The Age have now supported last week's recommendation by ... Read More

Hard to believe, but the Andrews government is trying to push a new law through Parliament to allow people to choose for themselves what sex is listed on their birth certificate, regardless of their biology ... Read More

There's a powerful editorial in today’s Herald Sun on Premier Andrews’ arrogant folly in thinking he can break the law and get away with it. Yesterday, the Supreme Court threw out Mr Andrews’ attempt to ... Read More

Each year on 18 August, we honour and commemorate all those who served in Vietnam. This Vietnam Veterans Day also marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, Australia’s most costly single military ... Read More

Remember when Labor said there was an ambulance crisis and only they would "fix" it? Well, it's now been revealed that the average ambulance response time has barely changed under Labor, and many response times ... Read More

A spectacular field of 300,000 handcrafted poppies now covers the central lawn of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, thanks to the 5000 Poppies project. The 5000 Poppies project began as a small personal tribute by two ... Read More

Today's Herald Sun reports that Infrastructure Victoria has listed East West Link as a key project for Victoria's future. These are Daniel Andrews’ own hand-picked experts agreeing that Melbourne needs the East West Link. It ... Read More

It's reported today that the State government's "no jab, no play" rules don't apply to teachers or other staff at kindergartens or child care centres. This seems to leave quite a gap in protecting children ... Read More

First Premier Andrews cancels 42 new cancer beds for Peter Mac because they would have treated private patients. Now he plans to rely on private patients from overseas to help prop up his flawed idea ... Read More

The Labor Party talk a lot about valuing education, but the reality is starkly different. Yesterday, the Andrews government quietly released the latest figures on Victorian TAFE enrolments, revealing a massive 14% cut in student ... Read More

Today' Age reports on a government "shake' up" of the child protection residential care system. You'd like to think this “shake-up” will achieve some good, but it’s hard to be hopeful. There are some great ... Read More

According to today's The Age, the company that gave us Myki is set to win a six-year extension of its contract, ahead of Cubic, the operator of London's Oyster card. If this report is right, ... Read More

It’s been revealed today that Premier Andrews has rushed into inflicting Skyrail across Melbourne’s suburbs without even having a business case. As Victoria’s Auditor-General points out, Skyrail and other level crossing removals are a big ... Read More